One's Company: A Journey to China in 1933

Catching all the fascination and humour of travel in out-of-the-way places, One's Company is Peter Fleming's account of his journey through Russia and Manchuria to China when he was Special Correspondent to The Times in the 1930s. Fleming spent seven months with the "object of investigating the Communist situation in South China" at a time when, as far as he knew, "no previous journey had been made to the anti-communist front by a foreigner", and on its publication in 1934, One's Company won widespread critical acclaim.

Brazilian Adventure: A Quest into the Heart of the Amazon

In 1925 Colonel P. H. Fawcett embarked on a journey into a dangerous and largely unexplored region of Brazil in search of a fabled lost city and was never seen again. Journalist Peter Fleming's interest in Fawcett's disappearance led him to answer an advertisement to join an expedition to explore the rivers of Brazil with the aim of ascertaining the explorer's fate. Though Colonel Fawcett's disappearance remains a mystery to this day, Peter Fleming's wild adventure in the jungles of Brazil is recognized as one of the 20th century's best-loved travel classics.

Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45

With an introduction read by Max Hastings. A companion volume to his best-selling 'Armageddon', Max Hastings' account of the battle for Japan is a masterful military history. Featuring the most remarkable cast of commanders the world has ever seen, the dramatic battle for Japan of 1944-45 was acted out across the vast stage of Asia: Imphal and Kohima, Leyte Gulf and Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Soviet assault on Manchuria.

Publisher's Summary

In June 1900 the foreign legations at Peking were attacked by troops of the Boxer rebellion and Imperial Chinese troops. The ensuing siege lasted 55 days and shook the world. In this work, Peter Fleming traces its history and impact.

This is a jolly good piece of work, narrative history of another generation, the kind of which fell from popularity for many years. Reading like an adventure story, the author marshals his material with all the skill and pace that one might expect form his more famous relative. It's well read and well paced and will suit those who like their history to be easily comprehensible and fun; those looking for a more dense analysis of China at the time might find it a little wanting, however. For me, a really good listen.

One can certainly find many more current and more scholarly studies on the Boxer Rebellion. For a work written in 1959, however, Fleming's treatment of China's reaction to European imperialism is remarkably sympathetic and balanced. Moreover it's a great read so far as military history goes. The book's one bothersome issue is giving a number of quotes in French without offering translations. The narration is a perfect match for the subject.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Leonard

Honolulu, HI

05/01/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"The History Behind the Movie"

For fans of Charlton Heston's movie "55 Days at Peking", this is the history that inspired the movie. I knew something of the history of the Boxer Rebellion and the Allied efforts to relieve the besieged legations. Fleming's book gives great detail of the intrigue in the Chinese Imperial Court, the dithering of the Allied ministers and the bravery of the soldiers and residents of the foreign legations. Shaw-Parker's narration was a bit dry at times, but good overall.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Lector Curiosus

New York

01/01/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"So, THAT'S where they got the movie from!"

As a youth I was thrilled by the (now) old-fashioned derring-do, color, and bravery of the movie "55 Days in Peking" with Charleston Heston, David Niven, Ava Gardner et al. The story of the "Boxer Rebellion" and its siege of the foreign legations in Peking in 1900 was drawn from this book. Well-written, well-paced, and very well read!The only quibble is that the book reflects its provenance ( UK, 1959) when the author quotes Frenchmen in their original French and leaves their words untranslated. One supposes Peter Fleming assumed any educated person could handle a few sentences in French ;-) However, at least the French is well-pronounced by the narrator.

Recommended!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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